


The Girlfriend

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: These Women [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 17:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5099813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But there was also a line in the sand that even as friends they never crossed.  Talking about intimate relationships was that line.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Girlfriend

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t even know what brought this story to mind but I just started writing and let the characters tell it themselves. Then I saw a picture of Debra Messing online and I knew exactly who this character was. I think this will be a quadrilogy, I just need you guys to bear with me. I have some idea what's happening but I want to make sure all characters are treated with respect and that I can do this right. I hope you enjoy.

“Knock, knock.” Olivia stuck her head into the partially open door. “Good evening, Counselor.”

“Sergeant Benson.” Rafael looked up with surprise. “I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight.”

“I was on dinner break so I decided to stop by. Should I have called first?”

“No. Well…”

“It’s OK.” Olivia smiled. “I know you're a busy guy and I'm not going to take up too much of your time. I just wanted to bring you a present.”

“A present?” Rafael stood from his chair. “You brought me a present?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Friends can't buy each other presents now?” she asked.

“Sure.” He reached out, taking the box. “I didn’t do anything to deserve it.”

“This is for all the work you put in on the Jenny Aschler case. When Rollins and I first came to you, you didn’t even want to hear it. But you gave us some leeway and in the end you went to bat for her. I still can't believe all that you did.”

“She deserved it after the hell she went through.” Rafael closed his eyes. As hard as he tried he'd been unable to get those Lacy images out of his head. The whole thing made him physically ill. The $4 million dollars was a victory but there was still a long way for Jenny and Maddie to go.

“Yes she did, but that didn’t mean that it was going to happen. You took a serious gamble going after Roger Pierce and it paid off.”

“I don’t like that he's not going to do jail time. Men like him are the scum of the earth.”

“Open your gift.” Olivia said.

“This was very nice of you.” Rafael opened the top of the box and laughed. “Oh wow, you know me too well.”

“I thought it would be a nice addition to your collection.”

Olivia had bought him a tie. It was Calvin Klein, dark blue with silver and black 3D like cubes. He actually had the perfect shirt and suit to go with it. He smiled thinking of her at Macy’s or Saks, going through the racks of ties and looking for the one that screamed Barba. Perhaps it jumped right out at her. Maybe she was there for hours, debating, deciding on one and then changing her mind. Had she thought of all the other ties he'd worn before or just went with her gut?

“Do you like it?” she asked.

“It’s lovely.” He smiled at her. “I’ll wear it for my next court appearance…maybe it will be bring me luck.”

“You don’t need luck, Counselor. I know we can sometimes be a thorn in your side but I think our partnership has only gotten better over the years. It’s a small token of appreciation for all the work you do.”

“Thank you, Olivia.” Rafael put his hand over his heart. “I will cherish it always.”

“Hey there.” Another woman walked into the room and smiled. “Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were alone. I'm a little bit early so I could wait outside if you're busy.”

“No, no,” Rafael shook his head. “We were just wrapping up. Sergeant Olivia Benson, this is Samantha Hoffman. She's the assistant director of Girls First and runs the very popular blog, City Life/City Ex-Wife.”

“Oh God Rafi,” she laughed. “You sound like my publicist. Actually, you sound better than my publicist. I should look into hiring you.”

Olivia blinked twice when she heard the familiar nickname. She'd never used it before…she was struggling to think of a time when she actually used the ADA’s first name. He called her Olivia, even called her Liv, so why hadn’t she ever called him Rafael? And who was this woman who seemed incredibly comfortable calling him Rafi? 

She was quite attractive, tall and curvy with red hair and hazel eyes. Her black dress and duster looked like Ann Taylor business wear; her shoes and bag designer. She also wore a pair of black rimmed glasses. The look was popular amongst women in the city right now.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Olivia shook Samantha’s extended hand.

“You too. Rafael told me you two work closely together and he has nothing but praise for you. I know my daughters and I feel safer with a cop like you on the street, Sergeant Benson.”

“Olivia is fine.” She smiled. “How old are your daughters?”

“Piper is 10 and Josephine is 7. Do you have kids?”

“No.” Olivia shook her head and knew it was time to end this conversation. “I hate to make such a quick exit but I just stopped by to chat with the ADA on my dinner break. I have to get back to the precinct.”

“Of course.” Samantha nodded. “I would love to talk again. Perhaps really sit down and talk about your work. We do monthly spotlights on the Girls First website of women in the city who hold their own in male-dominated fields. A sergeant in the NYPD surely fits the bill.”

“Olivia is one of the best.” Rafael said.

“Thanks.” Olivia looked at him and smiled. “I usually don’t promote myself but I'm sure the NYPD would love the positive spotlight. Do you have a card?”

“I do.” Samantha opened her Kate Spade purse and pulled one from a cardholder inside. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

“Alright.” Liv gave Rafael another quick look. “Counselor.”

“Goodnight, Sergeant, and thanks again for the gift.”

“You're welcome. Goodnight.”

Olivia heard Samantha ask about the gift as she was leaving. She didn’t want to but found herself standing off to the side and looking inside the still partially opened door. Samantha smiled when she saw the tie and then she kissed him. Olivia had never seen Rafael kiss anyone. That was a side to him that she hadn’t unlocked yet. 

His personal life was personal…she had no idea what was going on in it. The only reason he knew about Brian was because everyone knew about Brian. Olivia kept it for as long as she could because she didn’t want it interfering with work. How come she felt so uncomfortable that she knew nothing about Samantha Hoffman? The name hadn’t even come up though she and Rafael had known each other for quite a while now. 

His having time to be in a relationship seemed improbable with all the work he did. All the late nights they had drinks or dinner together…had it taken his time away from something else. Olivia quickly turned and walked toward the elevators. She didn’t want them to come out of the office and see her standing there. There was work to do at the precinct. She would jump in with both feet to stop the invading thoughts from driving her crazy.

***

“Hello.” Olivia put her Kindle down when she answered the phone. It was just after eleven and she’d been at home for the past hour reading and relaxing. It had been a long evening, she worked until nine and got out of there before the phone could ring again.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I just wanted to thank you again for the tie.” He said. “It was a nice gesture and I really do like it. My mother tried, for a while, to get me a tie on almost every holiday. She thought she finally nailed down the perfect gift.”

“I'm guessing she hadn’t?”

“Not really. So thank you.”

“You're welcome. Samantha seems really nice.”

“She is, she's great. She's perpetually early for everything, which sometimes drives me crazy because when I'm on time I feel late. But you're not supposed to harass someone over a good habit so I don’t.”

“You could’ve told me that you were seeing someone.” Olivia said.

“Would you have not gotten me the tie?” Rafael asked.

“That’s not what I meant, Barba. I just…we’re friends and it’s OK for friends to talk to each other about things like that. I'm glad to know you're happy.”

“Well we’re keeping things casual right now. Sam is very busy, I'm busy, and she also has children. I can say that when there's time for it, we have fun together. She’s bright and open and…it’s nice. But it’s definitely casual.”

“Friends with benefits casual, or dating casual?”

“Are you asking me if we've slept together?”

“That’s a very personal question.” Olivia replied.

“Yes, I would agree.”

She wanted to know. She wanted to know so desperately that she nearly demanded he tell her. What right did she have to dig into his personal business that way? Not once had Rafael ever asked her about her relationship with Brian. She knew part of that was because he didn’t like him. 

But there was also a line in the sand that even as friends they never crossed. Talking about intimate relationships was that line. They weren't gossiping girlfriends and that was OK. Possible jealousy aside, Samantha intrigued Olivia. Who was the kind of woman that Rafael Barba would fall for? 

What did they say to make each other laugh? In what ways did she touch him? What was the one subject that always ended in an argument? How did they make it up to each other? For some reason she was almost desperate to know these things. Olivia had so many failed relationships. Even at three months and keeping it casual, she wanted to know how other people did it.

“Are you waiting for marriage?” she asked.

“I am never, ever, ever getting married.” Rafael said laughing.

“Whoa, why not?”

“Do you know how expensive divorce is?”

“That’s the most cynical response I've ever heard to anything.” Olivia said.

“Perhaps, but you also can't tell me I'm wrong. One in three marriages end in divorce. The odds are in no one’s favor.”

“What about love?”

“Good luck with that.” He said.

“Rafael.”

“I'm sorry… _that_ was cynical. Samantha has already been married. Now she has an ex-husband, her daughters have a stepmother, and she has to co-parent with someone she would rather push out of a window. I’ll just get a cat and a cable sports package.”

“You're allergic to cats and don’t like most sports.”

“I was just cobbling two random things together but you really know me too well, Sergeant.”

“I'm glad you're happy, cynicism aside.” Olivia said.

“Thank you. As I said, Samantha and I are casual but it has been nice. I'm content with where we are right now and I think she is as well. Being on the same page is important in this dating thing. That’s why I don’t do it very often. Compromising and stepping down have never been my favorite things.”

“I would’ve never guessed that about you.”

“I know.” Rafael said. “I hide it so well. It’s getting late.”

“Yeah.”

“So I just wanted to call and thank you again. I also wanted to apologize; I didn’t plan on you and Sam meeting that way, Liv. I hope it wasn’t too awkward.”

“No.” Olivia lied. “OK, it was a little awkward but my first impression was a good one. Not that you need to rely on my impressions.”

“Your impressions are important to me.” He said.

“She seems great, and you deserve someone great.”

“Thank you. Hey, how’s Brian?”

“Fine.” She said. She didn’t really know how Brian was since they'd broken up a few weeks ago. The only person Liv actually told about it was her therapist. The members of her squad noticed she was working more and making outside plans less but they all kept it to themselves. “He's really busy at work, I'm really busy at work, and I think you know how that goes.”

“I want you to be happy too, Liv.” Rafael said.

“I know. Hey, I'm going to try and finish this chapter before I go to bed. So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“More than likely, yes.”

“Sweet dreams, Counselor.” 

“Dulces Sueños, Sergeant Benson.”

Rafael sighed as he hung up the phone. It was done, Liv knew about Sam and he didn’t have to feel like he was hiding it anymore. It surely hadn’t happened the way he anticipated or wanted but it happened. Sam thought she was great, threw Olivia many compliments while they had dinner this evening. Rafael didn’t bite the bait…he wasn’t sure where it all came from. 

To assume Sam was trying to gauge his feelings was probably wrong but he did anyway. He remained cordial about Olivia then changed the subject. They hadn’t seen each other in over a week so they should be catching up. Sam pretended to be bored with the law because it made him laugh. Rafael listened intently to daughter stories because it made her happy. 

Later at his place they had excellent Ethiopian coffee and good sex. When Sam went home, Rafael called Liv. He felt better to have it all out in the open. Secrets were nothing to build a friendship on. There was nothing wrong with keeping personal things personal; they didn’t have to constantly discuss the relationships they were in. 

The idea of Olivia finding out from someone else or hearing some rumor about it didn’t sit well with him. Rafael remembered how he felt when he found out about Liv and Brian…it was like a gut punch. If he could keep her from ever feeling like that where his actions were concerned then things would be OK. She had Brian, he was seeing Sam, and things were going to be fine.

***


End file.
